Part 2

Mary glanced disappointed at the third Rattata that morning, lazily calling her Squirtle out from his ball. The eager Pokemon glanced at the Rattata, then back at Mary, a devoted expression in his eye, before lunging at the fiend. Despite its long teeth biting into his hide, he ignored the no doubt excruciating pain, focusing instead on grabbing the enemy by its massive whiskers, squeezing them, before throwing the creature into the dirt. The little rodent rose to its feet, but not before her Squirtle tackled the poor little rat, knocking it into the air, letting it fall a dozen yards away in the high grass, powerless.

As Mary recalled Squirtle back into his ball, she smiled, graciously, as she appreciated the expression of pride on the little critter's face. As she glanced at the ball in her hand, tossing it high into the air before letting the full weight of the ball slam against her palm, she acknowledged that she really wish she had chosen that Bulbasaur instead. This Squirtle really was just a way of spiting that fat brat Yumi.

As Mary walked down in the lane surrounded by grass, she acknowledged that, right now, Yumi was probably right behind her, starting off on Route 01, no doubt being bogged down by Rattata and Pidgeys. She was such an annoying girl, she was. When they were younger, she'd enjoy following Mary around. That was, of course, before her brother left to become a Pokemon trainer, and, while he did stop in from time to time, he essentially remained out in the wilderness, trying to be a Master.

It was a stupid goal.

And ever since her big brother returned with that Squirtle, she had always said she wanted a Squirtle. When she was 9, she was so excited about holding that little water turtle in her hand that when Professor Oak moved the minimum age to accept Pokemon from him from 10 to 14, the little Yumi started to cry. Mary, on the other hand, started to laugh. Why she laughed, even Mary, to this day, didn't know. Was she cruel? Was she being wicked? Perhaps, but despite all that, Mary knew she wasn't a bad person. She just wanted Yumi to stop being so annoying.

And if it took beating that little bitch at everything she did, then she'd do it.

There, ahead of her, was Viridian City. She had heard that a rather powerful trainer was in charge of the Gym, Blue. A legend in Pallet. Yumi's idol. Perhaps it was best to confront him at the beginning of her journey, early on, if only to dishearten poor Yumi. She walked through the threshold of the pool, and, with a smile on her lips, glanced over at the mass of people surrounding her on all sides. In Pallet Town, the population was not so large. She had been to Viridian, and even Celadon City with her mother for shopping, but, for the majority of her life, she had remained in isolated little Pallet, thus, while not entirely blown away by the mass of people around her, she finally could appreciate just how small she really was, all these people walking past her, not noticing her, save for a few perverted guys looking at her angelic frame.

She approached the nearest Pokemon Center she could find, walking into a rather brightly lit room with lots of comfortable lamps along the side. A large, plump Chancey walked down the isle alongside the front desk, carting a stretcher filled with Pokeballs, no doubt for serious emergencies. The nurse at the desk, a pink haired girl with two hoop-like buns on the side of her head, smiled cheerfully. "Hello there. Are you one of the new trainers from Pallet."

"Yes, that I am," Mary answered in a cheery voice, "I've just come from Route 01, and my Squirtle is really exhausted."

"I see. It isn't serious, is it?"

"Not in the least."

"Well then, it should take a few minutes to heal your little Squirtle." The nurse accepted the Poke-Ball containing the little starter Pokemon. She turned around, and placed it on a machine that strongly resembled a kitchen stove. After placing it on a round indentation on the surface of that mechanism, the nurse asked, curiously, "So, are you heading up towards Pewter City to face Brock?"

"No, actually, I was planning on facing Blue," Mary replied, smiling.

The nurse began to giggle at the sound of this. Mary blushed deep red as the nurse turned toward her, a look of amusement in her eyes. "You can't be serious."

She felt irate at the sound of that declaration. Can't be serious? And why wouldn't she be serious? Mary clenched her fists under the counter in aggravation as she replied, turning slightly red but still maintaining that innocent voice that seemed ideal for convincing people she was a delicate little angel, "Why is that? Is he hard?"

"Well, this Squirtle isn't experienced enough to face Blue. It would be like stopping an electric train with a newborn baby."

Suppressing the ghastly images that sprang to her mind, Mary asked, cautiously, "Well, maybe I'd be the exception."

"I wouldn't count on it," the nurse replied, her expression of amusement starting to die away, "I doubt you'd even be able to last five seconds against him, or even one of his disciples."

"What do you recommend I do?" Mary asked as a chime rang out through the air.

The nurse turned toward the stove-like machine, withdrawing Squirtle's sphere as she said, smiling gently, "Capture more Pokemon. Buy some Poke-balls, antidotes, potions, all those rather useful necessities of the trainer."

She was going to do that regardless, but she smiled regardless, graciously. "Well, I suppose maybe it's a better idea to get a few more Pokemon before I go to the top." Mary knew the nurse was right. She didn't stand a chance against Blue. She'd just wait a little longer, collect a few more Pokemon, and then crush Yumi's dreams. It would happen, and there really wasn't much in her way of reaching her objectives. Catch a few Pokemon, and it'll all be over shortly.

#

200 for a Pokeball.

1000 for 5.

Yumi handed the clerk the money as she collected the five balls she needed, holding each one between her knuckles, gazing lovingly at the sheen on their red and white surfaces. She buckled each ball on the side of her pants, ignoring the feeling of her love handles brushing against the back of her hands. She was sure all this exercise, all the walking, she was about to undergo as a side-effect of her travels would probably eliminate the majority of her baby fat, but the knowledge that, as of now, that bitch Mary and that moron Tony could still call her chubby didn't leave her with much self-esteem.

As she left the store, leaning against the wall of the building, resting her head against its smooth exterior, she glanced at the ball that contained her Charmander, lovingly. That poor little guy had fought several enemies on Route 01, from Rattata to Pidgeys. Thankfully for her, her brother had left several potions behind for her, so she was able to avoid going to the Pokemon Center for now. She gazed up at the sun as she reflected that, at this very moment, her idol, Blue, was here, staying in a building only a few blocks away, beyond her reach for now. Give it a week, give it a month, maybe a few months, of traveling. That's all she'd need to reach the zenith of her abilities, to reach Blue, to beat him.

And her elder brother was out there, smiling down at her, ready to help her baby sister at a moment's notice. Sure, she really didn't need help, but, right now, the idea of some guardian angel, a force beyond her reach that was willing to lend a hand. She wondered where her brother was right now. He was probably in a battle right now, proving his superiority to everyone else, dominating the competition!

"Yumi?"

At the sound of her name, Yumi glanced over to see Mary, a look of awe on her face. Yumi wanted to smack that bitch across the face. She had taken Squirtle, she had taken the one Pokemon she wanted more than any other, before she could hold that sweet, innocent creature in her hands. Her baby! Kidnapped! Well, she was above fighting right now. She didn't need to attack Mary. She had already found herself unnecessarily battling that idiot Tony, so it was not the brightest idea to just battle here, in the middle of a populated town.

"You're in Viridian this quickly?" Mary asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Funny, isn't it?"

"Indeed. What Pokemon did you get?"

"Charmander."

"Funny, I thought you always wanted a Squirtle," replied Mary, spinning her only Poke-Ball on the tip of her index finger.

"Yeah, I know, but, wouldn't you know it, some spoiled bitch stole it before I could get there. Sucks, right?"

Mary's smug grin fell as she grumbled, "Well, at least I'm not an annoying fat brat."

Yumi clenched her fists in fury as she snarled, angrily, "Yeah, well, at least I know how to survive in the wilderness, my Princess. I mean, have you ever gone camping in Viridian Forest? Well, I went with my brother there, and it was amazing!"

"Did you eat some of the berries in Viridian Forest? Maybe a few too many, as far as I can tell." Mary giggled to herself as Yumi blushed deep red, self-consciously placing a hand on her rounded belly.

"Oh, what do you know, anyway?" snapped Yumi as she folded her hands over her breasts, "No point arguing with you, anyway. You'll probably be found dead in an alleyway or something like that after spending one week in the wild."

"The wild? It's the Viridian Forest, not Seafoam Island," laughed Mary.

"Never underestimate your surroundings, Mary. You never know what lies beyond the next tree."

"Ah well, want to make a bet?" Mary asked, smiling.

"What kind of bet?" Yumi asked, becoming aware of just how light her wallet had become after purchasing those Poke-balls.

"Whoever beats Blue first wins $100,000," Mary replied, grinning.

"Wait, what?" stammered Yumi, "I never had that much money in my life! Hell, I'm sure you got it as a little baby, but I've never even seen that much money."

"Well, if I'm as doomed as you say I am, then it shouldn't be that big of a deal, right?" Mary replied, smiling.

Yumi considered this. Mary didn't stand a chance. She was weak, pampered, a two-faced princess. This precious little angel couldn't last five days in the real world. A confident grin on her face, Yumi agreed to the terms. "Alright, you're on. Just make sure you make that check out to Miss Yumi Toriyama, thank you very much."

"Confident, are we?" laughed Mary.

"Yeah, maybe a little," replied Yumi, "See you at the Indigo Plateau."

#

"Ah!!! They're already ahead of me!"

Tony sprinted through the high grass, damning Professor Oak with every fiber of his being. Curse that stupid old man, giving him a lecture about ethics after healing his Bulbasaur. Of course Tony knew it was a bad idea to just sent his new Pokemon to beat up a human. So what? Sure, it wasn't ethical, but it sure as hell was fun. And, after all, Tony and Yumi knew each other for years. A little scuffle between friends was perfectly acceptable. He didn't get why everyone was making such a big deal about it, even his mom.

The others were probably in the Viridian Forest by now, already on their way to Pewter. He couldn't just let them get ahead like that! His trench coat flapped in the air like a cape as he darted through the high grass, over a nearby log, only to trip over a Pidgey prancing across the grassy field. As he landed on his face in the mud, he could hear the bird beneath him squeal in pain, glaring at him with a look of pure loathing in his beady eyes.

Instinctively, Tony's hand flew to his coat. He had attached Bulbasaur's Poke-Ball to his jacket button, for easy withdrawal. As he unlocked his Bulbasaur, without removing the Poke-Ball, he felt his body shudder momentarily as the leafy monster emerged before him, the bulb on his top balanced perfectly on his arching back. The reptilian monster glared at the Pidgey, the starter Pokemon clearly able to understand why it had been summoned from its slumber, as the bird glared at Tony, hateful toward the human for stumbling over him like that.

"Alright, Bulby, beat that guy up just like you beat up Charmander!" The Bulbasaur obeyed. He leapt at the Pidgey, ready to dump its entire body weight against the bird, only for that feathered fiend to fly into the air, evading the attack entirely. It soared high above the poor creature, and turned, instead, toward Tony, a venomous glint in its eye. Tony felt his stomach knot as he leapt to the side as the Pidgey fell to Earth like a comet, its beak aimed outward like a sword. The Pidgey slammed into the ground, sending clouds of dust high into the air.

Tony turned back to look at the Pidgey as it rose to its full height, glaring at Tony hatefully. It was about to fly at him, and would have, had it not been for Bulbasaur leaping against the poor bird, forcing its full body weight on top of it, forcing it into the ground. He held the Pidgey between his legs, keeping its wings from flapping. As the poor bird struggled to escape, Tony watched as his Bulbasaur simply forced more weight against it, keeping it restrained beneath him.

"Great job, Bulbasaur!" Tony laughed, reaching for a second Poke-ball to capture it. It was only when his fingers curled around nothing did he realize that he didn't have a second Poke-Ball. Frowning slightly, he shouted, "Alright, Bulbasaur, paralyze it! Use Stun Spore!" Bulbasaur nudged the Pidgey with its head into the air, sending it flying toward the sky. The weakened bird didn't have a chance as a space at the top of the bulb grew larger, opening up large enough for a jet of orange spores to fly from the orifice. The spores slammed against the Pidgey's back, its body stiffening at contact. The poor bird's eyes widened as it fell to Earth, completely paralyzed.

Tony punched the air in triumph. The Pidgey wouldn't resist now. He recalled his Bulbasaur into its appropriate ball as he scooped the Pidgey into his arms, smiling as he darted through the high grass. He didn't have any Poke-balls now, sure, but that didn't matter. He needed to catch all the Pokemon, but no one ever said he needed a ball to catch them. All he needed to do was simply arrive in Viridian, buy a few Poke-Balls, and then he'd officially have a Pidgey.

He glanced down at the bird as he glanced up at him. A look of resistance, perhaps of utter loathing, spread across the bird's face, but Tony ignored it. After all, this was his first Pokemon he caught on his own. Sure, it may not like him now, but just wait a few more days! They'd be best friends for sure! And if not friends, than official fighting buddies. Either way, it worked out for him in the end.

He stumbled over a root, dropping Pidgey. The trainer felt pain surge through his body his head bumped against a nearby stone. He felt a little cut on his forehead, blood smeared on his fingertips. The paralyzed bird landed several yards away. Tony pushed himself up, rubbing away the dirt and blood from his face, as he turned to see a trainer approaching the paralyzed Pidgey, a smile on his lips.

"Hey! Get the hell away from that Pidgey, you stupid bastard!" Tony snapped, "He's mine."

"Yours?" the trainer, a boy dressed up as though he were searching for bugs, "I don't think so. He looks like mine, if you ask me." He withdrew an empty Poke-Ball from his pocket, and raised it over his head.

"Bulbasaur!" Tony summoned his own Pokemon in the nick of time. He dove in between Pidgey and the trainer. When the ball flew toward Pidgey, he knocked it aside with his paws, sending it into the dirt, a large crack down the side, worthless.

"That's a waste of $200! I hope you're willing to pay for that!" the trainer snapped.

"Who should I make the check out to?" Tony asked, diving for Pidgey, scooping the bird into his arms.

"Michael, the future champion of the Pokemon League," the trainer shouted, withdrawing two balls, throwing them both simultaneously. Tony watched as the two balls exploded into an array of light, summoning two fearsome Pokemon. One was a massive yellow-jacketed wasp, a Beedrill, the other an elegant butterfly, a Butterfree. Tony glared at the fearsome foe as Bulbasaur stood his ground, glaring at the two opponents.

As Tony held the little Pidgey to his chest, he shouted, "Beat them to a pulp, Bulbasaur."

His little Pokemon obeyed the order. He darted toward the Beedrill, tackling it in the center of his chest. As it soared backward, the Beedrill drew its own drill-like forearms, and dug them into the Bulbasaur's bulb! The little Pokemon shrieked in pain as spores exploded harmlessly from the top of its bulb. As Beedrill threw Tony's starter off to the side, he watched helplessly as the Butterfree flew overhead, dropping spores from her elegant wings with grace and beauty. Bulbasaur was consumed by the beautiful array of pixie dust, and, to Tony's horror, paralyzed.

"No!"

"This was easier than I thought," Michael laughed, "Hand over the Pidgey, you little brat!"

"No! Bulbasaur, beat those guys up!" As though spurred on by the sound of his master's voice, Bulbasaur struggled to move, glaring at the Beedrill and Butterfree before him. Mustering enough strength to move, he flew through the air, slamming against Beedrill's head, knocking him into the tall grass, before falling weakly on his stomach, unable to move himself any further. Tony watched as the Beedrill rose into the air, vehement.

"Ah well, guess I'm going to have to beat your Bulbasaur up a little more, then beat you up," laughed Michael.

Bulbasaur glanced up fearfully at the enemies before him, both glaring at him from each side. Butterfree rose above it, releasing blue powder, Sleep Powder, from its graceful wingspan. Tony could only stare in horror as the powder descended toward the poor little critter. It was at that moment that he was blown backward as a powerful hurricane of wind exploded from his chest, sending the powder into the air, following the currents of air, straight into Beedrill. The giant wasp was blown backward, sleep powder thrust into its face. Once again, he fell into the grass, only this time he didn't return.

"Damn it!" Michael stammered, "That Pidgey just saved the Bulbasaur? But why? It doesn't make sense! It's a wild Pokemon still. It's not obliged to obey a master."

Tony glanced at the paralyzed Pidgey, now struggling to move. It glanced up at Tony, staring it in the eye, a determined expression in its eyes. Tony and it locked eyes for a second, and utter realization dawned upon each of them. The Pidgey wanted to pummel Tony exclusively, and it would wait until it was healed to do so. He didn't want to be taken away from him by some random trainer before it could take revenge on the stupid trainer for tripping over him like a root or something.

Bulbasaur pushed itself up, staring up at the Butterfree overhead as it tried, once again, to put the poor creature to sleep. Bulbasaur rolled to the side, evading the blue powder, as it too fired powder, orange powder, into the air, directly into the Butterfree's core. The poor creature fell to the ground, convulsing weakly as it struggled to move. Michael stared at each of his two Pokemon as he returned them to their balls. Glancing up at Tony, he lowered his head in defeat. "I can't believe I lost to a paralyzed bird and a stupid greenhorn."

"Want to get out of my way, Michael?" Tony asked, returning Bulbasaur to its ball, a grin on his lips.

"Fine. Go."